The Great Flood of Emotions (First Thoughts)

I guess it would not be appropriate to say that I’ve had water on my brain for the past several days. But, in all honesty, I can’t deny that I wake up in the middle of the night with the horror of rising water haunting my dreams. The recent catastrophic, if not historic, flooding experienced in my home state of Louisiana has left me with a flood of emotions to deal with. My family and I did better than most and have only experienced minor inconveniences and damage compared to many of my friends, church members and co-workers who suffered great loss.

The question that begs an answer is “How did this happen?” Of course, it’s easy to ask, “why?” or to cast blame on urban sprawl, climate change, a needed cleansing, or poor road design. There are some even who are calling the recent record flood a “man-made disaster.” That seems a stretch to me since the flood was the result of record rainfall (of over 30 inches in a limited amount of time in some areas) and as far as I know, no one was seen doing a rain dance the day before. But that’s what happens when an unexpected, unimaginable and uncomprehensible event brings about a flood of emotions that bare reckoning.

A flood is an emotional event. It is one of the most devastating disasters one can experience. In this case, a flash flood (some people I know experienced two floods in a single day) catches one by surprise and leaves little room or time for reaction, much less planning and escape. It has extraordinary impact on those who experience, yet it is of little consequence or concern to those who don’t. You, see a flood has no name.